THE PASSING SCENE OF 2025

 Two things that are always guranteed in life are taxes and death. This year is no different as we remember some of the great icons, entertainers, and personalities who are no longer with us...

Robert Redford

Actor, ROBERT REDFORD, died on September 16th at the age of 89. Redford started his career in television, acting in Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone before making his Broadway debut playing a newlywed husband in Neil Simon's comedic play Barefoot in the Park (1963). Redford made his film debut in War Hunt (1962) before finding leading man stardom acting in Barefoot in the Park (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Candidate (1972), and The Sting (1973), the last of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Redford's stardom continued in films such as The Way We Were (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975), All the President's Men (1976), The Electric Horseman (1979), Brubaker (1980), The Natural (1984), and Out of Africa (1985). He later acted in Sneakers (1992), All Is Lost (2013), Truth (2015), Our Souls at Night (2017), and The Old Man & the Gun (2018). Redford portrayed Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Endgame (2019); the latter was his last on-screen film appearance.

 

Actress LONI ANDERSON, died on August 3rd at the age of 79. She is best known for playing receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982), which earned her nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Awards.She was married to Burt Reynolds for awhile and last appeared on screen in 2023.

Entertainer, DAVID JOHANSEN, died on February 28th at the age of 75. Also known as Buster Pointdexter, he was the leader of the punk band, the New York Dolls. He also did some acting, most notably in the Billy Murray comedy Scrooged in 1988. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 which forced him to retire.

Singer, ROBERTA FLACK, died at the age of 88 on February 24th. Her commercial success included the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love". She became the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in consecutive years. Ill health forced her to semi retire in 2018, and she completely retired in 2020.

Actor RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN, died on March 29th at the age of 90. He became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare (1961–1966). He subsequently earned the title "King of the Mini-Series" for his work in several TV miniseries such as Centennial (1978), Shōgun (1980), and The Thorn Birds (1983). Chamberlain also performed classical stage roles and worked in musical theater. He continued to perform until his retirement in 2019.

Gene Hackman

Actor, GENE HACKMAN, died at the age of 95 on February 17th. Hackman's two Academy Award wins were for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's action thriller The French Connection (1971) and for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a villainous sheriff in Clint Eastwood's Western film Unforgiven (1992). He was also Oscar-nominated for three other roles: that of Buck Barrow in the crime drama Bonnie and Clyde (1967), a college professor in the drama I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and an FBI agent in the historical drama Mississippi Burning (1988). One of my favorte roles was a comedic role as the Senator in 1996's The Birdcage. He retired from acting in 2004.

Actor VAL KILMER, died at the age of 65 of pneumonia on April 1st. Initially a stage actor, he found fame after appearances in comedy films Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985), and later in the military action film Top Gun (1986) and the fantasy film Willow (1988). Kilmer gained acclaim for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991). He played Batman in 1995's Batman Forever. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, but he kept working. Kilmer reprised his role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky for the Top Gun sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022) whoich would be his last movie.

Actor MALCOLM JAMAL-WARNER, died from drowning on July 20th at the age of 54. He rose to prominence for his role as Theodore Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992), which earned him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards. He was also known for his roles as Malcolm McGee on the UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie (1996–2000). In 2024, Warner created a podcast dedicated to the lives of African-Americans. 

Professional wrestler HULK HOGAN, died of heart failure at the age of 71 on July 24th. His real name was Terry Gene Bollea, and he started in wrestling in 1977 and became one of the most widely celebrated wrestlers in all history. He appeared in a few films but stuck mostly to wrestling. He retired from the ring in 2012, but he kept on making appearances until the end.

Singer JANE MORGAN, died on August 5th at the age of 101. Morgan initially found success in France and the UK before achieving recognition in the US, receiving six gold records. Her big hit was the song Fascination, which she recorded in 1957. She was a frequent nightclub and Broadway performer, and also appeared numerous times on American television, both as a singer and as a dramatic performer.Jane made her last album in 1971 but continued performing until 2009. She made an appearance at her 100th birthday last year.

Diane Keaton

Actress DIANE KEATON, died at the age of 79 on October 11th. She was a popular actress for five decades and rose prominence with her first major film role as Kay Adams in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), a role she reprised in its sequels Part II (1974) and Part III (1990). She frequently collaborated with Allen beginning with the film adaptation of Play It Again, Sam (1972). Her next two films with him, Sleeper (1973) and Love and Death (1975), established her as a comic actress, while her fourth, Annie Hall (1977), won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She remained a force in movies with a starring role in Father Of The Bride (1991) and The First Wive's Club (1996), and she continued in movies until 2024.

Actress POLLY HOLLIDAY, died at the age of 88 on September 9th. She was best known for her portrayal of sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the 1970s sitcom Alice, a role for which she earned two Golden Globe Awards, and would also later reprise for its short-lived spin-off, Flo. Her character's catchphrase of "Kiss my grits!" remains the most memorable line associated with the series Alice. In 1984, Holliday won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Ruby Deagle in Gremlins. She retired from acting in 2010.

Comedian RUTH BUZZI, died on May 1st at the age of 88. Ruth was was best known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received five Emmy nominations. Buzzi was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012.In July 2022, it was reported that Buzzi had suffered a series of strokes and was improving. Ruth had pretty much retired from acting in the late 2000s.

Actress SALLY KIRLAND, died of dementia on November 11th at the age of 84. A onetime member of Andy Warhol's The Factory and an active member in 1960s New York avant-garde theater, Kirkland garnered widespread critical acclaim for her eponymous performance as a former popular actress in the independent comedy-drama Anna (1987), which earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. She continued to make appearences through this year.

Actor GEORGE WENDT, died at the age May 20th at the age of 76.. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. After Cheers ended in 1993, he also appeared in the films Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), No Small Affair (1984), Fletch (1985), The Little Rascals (1994), Spice World (1997), Outside Providence (1999), Santa Buddies (2009), and Sandy Wexler (2017). 

June Lockhart

Actress JUNE LOCKHART, died on October 23rd at the age of 100. She began her a film career in the 1930s and 1940s in films such as A Christmas Carol and Meet Me in St. Louis. She appeared primarily in 1950s and 1960s television and with performances on stage and in film. She became most widely known for her work on two television series, Lassie and Lost in Space, in which she played mother roles. Lockhart also portrayed Dr. Janet Craig on the CBS television sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–70). She was a two-time Emmy Award nominee and a Tony Award winner. She retired from performing in 2021.

Singer CONNIE FRANCIS, died at the age of 87 on July 16th. She was an American pop singer, actress, and one of the top-charting female vocalists of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She was estimated to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.In 1960, Francis was recognized as the most successful female recording artist in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and the United States. She retired in 2018 and had been in failing health since earlier this year after having hip surgery.

Singer CLEO LAINE, died on July 24th at the age of 98. Known for her scat singing in her native Britain, Laine's international activities began in 1972, with a successful first tour of Australia, where she released six top-100 albums throughout the 1970s.Shortly afterwards, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's Lincoln Center, followed in 1973 by the first of her many Carnegie Hall appearances.  She kept touring into the 21st century, including in Australia in 2005. She performed live in the UK as late as 2018.She retired in 2019.

Actress LORETTA SWIT, died at the age of 87 on May 30th. She is best known for her role on the television series Mash from 1972 to 1985. Her role as Hot Lips Houlihan won her two emmys. Swit also guest-starred in television shows such as Bonanza; The Love Boat; Win, Lose or Draw; Password; Gunsmoke; Match Game; Pyramid; The Muppet Show; and Hollywood Squares. Loretta's last acting role was in 2019.

Heavy metal singer OZZY OSBOURNE, died on July 22nd at the age of 76. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness". Osbourne became a founding member of Black Sabbath in 1968, providing lead vocals from their eponymous debut studio album in 1970 to Never Say Die! in 1978. Stricken with Parkinson's disease, he made his last public performance on July 5, 2025.

Diane Ladd

Actress DIANE LADD, died at the age of 89 on November 3rd. With a career spanning over 70 years, she appeared in over 200 films and television shows, receiving three Academy Award nominations for her roles in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990) and Rambling Rose (1991), the first of which won her a BAFTA Award. She was also nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards, winning one for her role in the sitcom Alice (1980–1981). Ladd's other film appearances included Chinatown (1974), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Primary Colors (1998), 28 Days (2000) and Joy (2015). She retired from acting in 2022.

Actor/director ROB REINER was murdered by his son on December 14th. He was 78. As an actor he played Mike "Meathead" Stivic on All In The Family from 1971 to 1979, and he moved on to directing in the 1980s. Reiner made his directorial film debut with the heavy metal mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (1984). He earned acclaim directing the romantic comedy The Sure Thing (1985), the coming-of-age drama Stand by Me (1986), the fantasy adventure The Princess Bride (1987), the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989), the psychological horror-thriller Misery (1990), the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men (1992). He was the son of famed comedy legend Carl Reiner.

Actress MAY BRITT died at the age of 91 on December 11th. She was a Swedish actress who had a brief career in the 1950s in Italy and later in the United States. She was married to American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. from 1960 to 1968. She quit Hollywood when she married Davis, but returned to acting, and her final role was in 1988 before she retired to a quiet life with her 3rd husband.

Actress BRIDGETTE BARDOT died on December 28th at the age of 91. She was a French actress, singer, model, and animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with hedonistic lives, she was one of the best-known symbols of the sexual revolution. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, she remained a major pop culture icon.

Another year of remembering those we have sadly lost...

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